Shuttle



July 22, 19.52 J. T. PosPlszEl. 2,604,125

l SHUTTLE Filed July 24@ 1951 Flan yl MIU lili! PRIOR ART v Flash INV TOR ATTORNEYS Patented July 22, 1952 SHUTTLE `Joseph T. Pospiszel, North Broadalbin, N. Y., assignor' to Mohawk Carpet Mills, Inc., Amsterdam, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 24, 1951, serial No. 238,289 10 Claims. (Cl. 13S-197) This invention relates to selvage shuttles, such as are used in looms, in which the filling is inserted by a needle, for passing a cord through the loop of yarn carried bythe needle to retain the loop in place, as the needle is withdrawn from vthe shed, and form the selvage. More particularly, the invention is lconcerned with a novel selvage shuttle, which is superior vto such shuttles as heretofore made in numerous respects. Thenew shuttle is easier to threadl up than'conventional shuttles and the replacement of an empty bobbin by a full one can be carried out more quickly in the newv shuttle than in former shuttles, In addition, the new shuttle is provided with cord gripping means, which are adjustable, so that the tension on the` cord can be varied, and the cord'gripping means, are disposed .ina lnewlocation, so that the shuttle can easily bel kept clean and free from lint.

' Selvage shuttles, as made heretofore, commonly include an elongated'slightly curvedvbody of metal having an upwardly turned horn at its forward end. A bobbinA cavity is formed in one side ofthe shuttle and the spindle of the bobbin is supported in a pair of bearings, one of which is rigidly attached to one end wall of the shuttle cavity, While the other is resiliently mounted at the other end of the cavity and can be separated from the first to release the bobbin spindle. A strip of spring steel is attached at one end to the inner surface of the top wall of the cavity near one end thereof and the strip has a downwardly curved portion near its free end. The curved part of the strip has an opening through it and, beyond the curved part, the strip isat and contacts with the top inner surface of the cavity. The top wall has an opening just beyond thefree end of the strip. l

In prior selvage shuttles of theconstruction described, the end ofthe cord from the bobbin mounted on a spindle in the bearings must be passed first through the opening in the curved part of the strip, then between the flat end section of the strip and the top inner surface of the cavity, and finally out through the opening in the top wall of the cavity. Sucha threadingup operation is difiicult because of the stiffness of the strip and the inaccessibility of the openings and it is also difficult to release the bobbin spindle from its bearings. As a result, replacement of an empty bobbin in the shuttle by a full one is time consuming. Another objection to the prior shuttle is that the space between the curvedv section of the strip and the top inner surface of thecavity collects lint, which, cannot be easily removed. All these objectionable fea- 2` Y tures contribute to vloss lof production of looms, in Which the shuttles described are used.

The selvage shuttle of the inventionv avoids the disadvantages of the former construction and can be easily refilled and threaded up and also kept clean. In the preferredform of the new shuttle, the cord gripping device is mounted on Y the bobbin spindle, which areautomatic in action Figs. 1 and 2 are. front elevational andvtop plan views, respectively,with parts broken away, of selvage shuttles as heretofore commonly constructed;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of one form of the selvage shuttle of the invention;Y

Fig. 4 is a plan View, with parts broken away, of the shuttle shown in Fig. 3; Fig. V5a is. a lsectional View on the line of Fig.3; i g

Figs. 5b and 5c are views similar to Fig. 5a, showing the shuttle being rotated on' itslongitudinal axis; v y; A f ,l

Fig. 6 is a sectional-view on the lines 6 6. of

Fig 4; ,Y l e Fig. '7 is a View similar to Fig- 5a,'showing a modified construction; and p Fig. 8 is av front elevational view' of another form of the new shuttle. f j

The conventional selvage shuttle illustratedin Figs. 1 and 2 comprises an elongated metal body ID having a flat bottom surface Il, which rests on Athe `bottomof the shuttle raceway. rAt-its forward end, the body is formed with an up- Wardly curved horn l2, and-the front and rear surfaces I3, Ill of the body are curved with an approximately concentric curvature corresponding to that ofthe shuttle raceway. The shuttle is reciprocated in the raceway by a rocker arm having fingers at its free end, `one of which enters a notch l5 in the top of the shuttle` near` its forward end and the other of which engages The cord I9 is maintained under tension has a domed head 35, the periphery of which is formed with notches 35a. A coil spring 36 is interposed between the head 35 and the top of disc 33 and urges the disc toward the top surface of the body with a force dependent on the extent, to which the screw is threaded into the body. 'I'he screw is held in the desired position of an- '.gular fadjustmentiby aspin 3:1 mounted in a bore in the body and` urgedu by a springl3-into the adjacent notch 35a on the head of the screw.

A passage is formed through the top wall of the bobbin cavity and the passage is illustrated as means of a gripping device consisting offa, spring strip 23, which is secured by a-screw 2.4 against the inner surface of the top of cavity I1. Between the screw and its free end, the strip has a downwardly depressed portion 23a having an opening 23h for passage of the cord and the topv wall of the cavity has an opening 25 just beyond the free end of the strip.

With the yconventional shuttle construction describedthe threading-,upof the shuttle requires that the'end of the cord be passed through opening 23h through theV spring strip and then ,led

along the innersurface of the top wall of the cavity and between rthat, wall andthe stripto opening 25. As the strip is very stiff, it is dicult tol thread the cord Vthrough kthe openings and between the strip and the wall of the cavity and this operation consumes a considerable amount of time. Also, theshuttle isnot'provided with any means for regulatingrthe grip 'o f the strip on'the cord and the shuttle is dicult to keep clean because lint accumulates in the space between the downwardly curved section 23a of the strip and the top wall ofthe bobbin cavity.

The preferred form of the shuttle o f the invention shown in Fig. 3 includes a body 26 generally similar to the bodyv I''of rthe prior shuttle. .L'Ihe body is formed with a. bobbin cavityY 21 opening through the front wall of the body, and, atropp'osite'ends of thecavity, the body is formed with a'p'air of horizontal slots 28 leading inward from its front face. The slots lie in the axis ofthe cavity and-are adapted to receive the ends of a spindle 29, on which the bobbin is mounted; Each slot 28 is intersected by a chamber illustrated as having the form of a vertical bore 3I, which leadsA inward from the bottom surfaceof the body and contains a pin 32 held in place by a screw 32a threaded into the bore. The construction is such thatjwhen the shuttle is in upright working position, the pins 32 in the bores 3| extend across slots 28 to coni-lne the ends of the spindle 29 behind them in theslots. When the shuttleVK is turned upside down to the position showninY Fig. 5c, the pins 32 slide up into Athe upper ends of the bores, so that slots 28 are no longer closed by the pins and the spindle, 29 with the'bobbin thereon is free to slide out o f the slots. Accordingly, when an' empty bobbin is to be replaced by a full one, the shuttle is merely inverted, the spindle and bobbin removed, afull bobbin placed on the spindle, and the ends oi the spindlel inserted into slots 28 and held against the inner ends thereof. By thenv turning the shuttle right side up, pins 32 dropdown Yto close the slots and hold the spindle in position. In order to maintain the cord being supplied from the bobbin under tension, thev shuttler'is I provided with a cord gripping device, which comprises a disc 33v mounted on top of the shuttle and held in place by a screw 34 passing through anopening'in the disc and threaded into the top of the'body labove the bobbin cavity. A'lheuscrew having the form of a slot 39, which leads inward from the free edge ofthe wall and has a branch 39a extending beneath disc 33. Preferably, the

body is thickened near its forward end to form anvupwardprojection 40 lying ahead of the ten-` vsion device and provided with a curved vertical shoulder=4I lying close to and extending above the forward edge of the'jhead 35 of screw 34.

In threading. up the new shuttle, the cord from the Abobbin is passedfinto slot39 and then into the branch 39a of the slot, afterwhich the cord is drawn beneath the edgeof disc 33. The disc clamps the cordagainst the top surface of the body underA the pressure of spring-36 and the gripping `action canbelyaried. byl .pushing .back pin` 31 against. the `spring 33 and turning.. the screw 34 in or out by .means ot its head 35. f lilthoughthe gripping device lies on the outer sur.- face ofthe shuttle, so thatvfone of the. strandsof the loop of. lling yarn, inserted by the needle passes over the tension devicev inV the forward movement of the shuttle, the formation of the body with projection, 40 and shoulder 4I .extending up above the notched edge ofthe head 35- of screw 34 causes -the yarn to slide on the surface ofthe projection land, over `the head of the screw without beingv caughtby'the gripping device.

In the shuttle shown lin Figs'. 3--6, inc., the bobbin spindle23 is held ,in'placeby pins 32 but, if preferred, the pins may be replaced by balls 42, which lie in bores 43 intersecting slots 44- leading inward from-the front face of the body of the shuttle at the endsV of the bobbincavity.' The balls function in the same manner as the pins in that, when the shuttle is in upright position,- the balls close the slots 44Vand prevent accidental displacement of the bobbin spindle 45. Whenv the shuttle is inverted, the balls pass outof the slots and into the ends ofthe bores, so that the. spindle can be freely removed from the slots. 1

The construction -shown in Fig. 8 is similar to that' shown in Fig. 3-7, inc., except that the bobbin spindle 46 is mounted in conventional bearings 41 and 48. Bearing 41 is fixed in position, while bearing 48 is held in place by a spring, which can be compressed to separate thetwo bearingsv sumciently to release the'spindle. lIn theFig. 8 construction, the top wall of the bobbin cavity 49 is providedv with a slot 56 extending inward from the free'edge of the wall and serving to Aguide the cord 5I Vfrom the bobbin beneath the disc of a tension device 52, whichis of the same construction as that employed in the new shuttle above described. l I

The formation ofthe new shuttle with the tension device in Areadily, accessible positionon its'top surfaceandwith the slot. open at its` outer end vfor guiding the cordjjfro'm the bobbin to the tension device greatlysimplies the threading-up of the shuttle and makes it. possible to keep the shuttle clean without difficulty. The tension can be adjusted, as described, byv turning the screw of the tensiony device incr out and the provision of the locking pin entering a notch in the edge of the head of the screw insures that the selected tension will be maintained until changed. The use of the preferred mounting for the bobbin spindle, including the slots and the pins or balls, which lock the ends of the bobbinv away from said surface, and a spring urging the member toward said surface. 2. A selvage shuttle, which comprises an clongated body having a bobbin cavity open through a side surface of the body, a passage through the top wall of the cavity, and cord gripping means mounted on the outer surface of said top wall and including a member movable toward and away from said surface, a spring urging the member toward said surface, and an element adjustable to vary the pressure of the spring on the member.

3. A selvage shuttle, which comprises an elongated body having a bobbin cavity open through a side surface of the body, a passage through the top wall of the cavity, and cord gripping means mounted on the outer surface of said top wall and including a perforated member movable toward and away from said surface, a screw passing through the member and threaded into said top Wall, and a spring engaging the head of the screw and the member and urging the lmember toward said surface.

4. A selvage shuttle, which comprises an elongated body having a bobbin cavity open through a side surface of the body, a passage through the top wall of the cavity, and cord gripping means mounted on the outer surface of said top wall and including a member movable toward and away from said surface, a spring urging the member toward said surface, a screw threaded into said top wall and engaging said member, the screw being rotatable to vary the pressure of the spring on the member, and means for locking the screw in adjusted position.

5. A selvage shuttle, which comprises an elongated body having a bobbin cavity open through a side surface of the body, a passage through the top wall of the cavity, and cord gripping means mounted on the outer surface of said top wall and including a member movable toward and away from said surface, a spring urging the member toward said surface, a screw threaded into said top wall and engaging said member, the screw being rotatable to vary the pressure of the spring on the member and having a head formed with a series of notches, and a springpressed pin engageable in any of said notches to hold the screw in adjusted position.

6. A selvage shuttle, which comprises an elon-` gated body having an upwardly curved Ihorn at its forward end and a bobbin cavity open through a side surface of the body, the top surface of the body having a transverse shoulder adjacent its forward end, a slot in the top wall of the cavity to the rear of the shoulder and having an entrance opening at the free edge of said wall, and cord gripping means mounted on the outer surface of said top wall to the rear of and adjacent to the shoulder.

7. A selvage shuttle, which comprises an elongated body having an upwardly curved horn at its forward end and a bobbin cavity open through a side surface of the body, the top surface of the body having a transverse shoulder adjacent its forward end, a slot in the top wall of the cavity to the rear of the shoulder and having an entrance opening at the free edge of said wall, and

cord gripping means mounted on the outer surface of said top wall to the rear of and adjacent to the shoulder, said means including a springpressed element and a screw threaded into the top of the body and rotatable to vary the position of the element, the screw having a head lying close to the shoulder.

8. A selvage shuttle, which comprises an elongated body having a bobbin cavity open through a side surface of the body, means at the ends of the cavity for holding the spindle of a bobbin, a slot in the tcp wall of the cavity having an entrance opening at the free edge of said wall, and cord gripping means mounted on the outer surface of said top wall and adapted to grip a cord passing out of the cavity through the slot.

9. A selvage shuttle, which comprises an elongated body having a bobbin cavity open through a side surface of the body, a pair of slots leading inward through said side surface at opposite ends of the cavity, a chamber intersecting each slot, an element within each chamber adapted to move within the chamber to a position, in which it closes the related slot, when the shuttle is moved to upright position, a passage through the top wall of the cavity, and cord gripping means mounted on the outer surface of said top wall and adapted to grip a cord passing out of the cavity through the passage through said top wall.

10. In a selvage shuttle, a body having a bobbin cavity open through a side surface of the body, a pair of slots leading inward through said side surface at opposite ends of the cavity and open to the cavity, a substantially vertical bore in the body intersecting each slot, and an element in each bore shorter than the length of the bore and movable in its bore, as the shuttle is moved to upright position, to a position, in which the element closes the related slot, the element moving to a position wholly within the bore to open the related slot, as the shuttle is inverted.

JOSEPH T. POSPISZEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 375,335 Bowker vet al Dec. 27, 1887 425,014 IWidmer Apr. 8, 1890 466,631 Steere Jan. 5, 1892 533,709 Hamblin Feb. 5, 1895 573,827 Martin Dec. 22, 1896 653,274 Weaver July 10, 1900 2,095,480 Schlegel Oct. l2, 1937 2,439,594 Bassindale Apr. 13, 1948 

